Realtors report healthy sales in the market leading into the holiday season, particular in the condominium market.

According to November statistics released by the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, the condo market in Sarasota say a 26 percent surge in sales, and Manatee and saw a jump of 16.3 percent.The supply of condos in the region also continues to rise. New listings for condos increases 22.8 percent in Sarasota and 9.6 percent in Manatee.

“Sarasota condos are selling quickly and at a higher price with the dollar volume of sales showing a 92.7-percent increase from last year,” says Xena Vallone, 2017 president of the Realtor association. “This could be pointing to the lower volume of condo sales in the past two months.”

At the same time, real estate agents in the region reported a 3.3-percent decrease in sales for single-family homes in Sarasota, even as Manatee saw a 7.5 percent increase. Both counties, though, have a low inventory of homes, with a 4.1-month supply available in Sarasota and a 4.3-month inventory in Manatee, marking a seller’s market in both counties. Manatee also has just a 4.3-month inventory of condo and townhouse units, and Sarasota has a 5.2 month supply.

Agents working in the area say the most important thing they see are signs of a healthy market where prices continue to rise but there isn’t the type of rapid escalation of activity seen in the build-up to the housing bust preceding the Great Recession.

“We are definitely seeing a strong, healthy market and looking forward to a good season,” says Michelle Crabtree, an agent at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty. “There are very few distressed properties. We’re seeing a nice, easy, gradual appreciation, and are not seeing the skyrocketing of back when we had the boom.”

The media sales price for homes in Sarasota is $285,000, and in Manatee $289,000, both increases over last year. In the condo market, the median sales price rose to $240,000 in Sarasota and$181,250 in Manatee.

Editor’s Note: This is part 51 of an ongoing series documenting the flights of active-duty US Navy Pilot Ryan Rankin on his journey to fly 52 planes in 52 weeks through the year 2017.

An unexpected delight, Rankin tests his aviation mettle against a massive aircraft he never expected he’d get a chance to fly this year—the OV-1 Mohawk. Manufactured by the legendary Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (today Northrop Grumman) from 1959 to 1970, only 380 were ever made and few still fly today. Rankin found his courtesy of “Mohawk Joe” Masessa, a dermatologist and surgeon who leads a double life performing aerobatics in airshows across the country.

Nicknamed the “Iron Works,” Grumman holds a reputation not only for unusual looking aircraft, but unusually sturdy aircraft, and the Mohawk is no exception. Designed largely for reconnaissance, the plane excelled in Vietnam and Desert Storm as an observation platform. Though it could be equipped with machine guns and rocket pods, only one air-to-air kill was ever recorded, and it took the Mohawk 38 rockets and two bursts of machine gun fire to accomplish. But with no North Vietnamese MiG-17s on the horizon, Rankin enjoys the view. “The visibility is unparalleled, other than being in a helicopter,” he says, noting not only the bubbled windows giving the pilot room to lean out to either side, but also windows installed above and below for maximum perspective.

And while the Mohawk’s size and sturdy appearance may fool one into thinking it a sluggish, lumbering machine, Rankin attests to the opposite. Powered by twin turboprop Lycoming T53s, “it definitely gets up and goes,” he says. Masessa, who regularly performs low-altitude aileron rolls in his shows, would agree. And there’s a reason his Mohawk is controlled via stick, instead of a yoke. There’s no hard and fast rule, says Rankin, but a stick typically indicates a plane ready to yank and bank. Cloud surfing through the skies (slaloming between the clouds as if they were physical obstacles—“very Star Wars”), the Mohawk darts around with surprising agility.

For more about the flight in Rankin's own words and a video of the flight, follow the link below.

Dreaming of a New Years Eve right on the Gulf of Mexico, with midnight fireworks and live music? Incredible food and delicious cocktails to top it off? Shark’ys On The Pier has you covered! Starting at 8PM on Sunday, December 31st2017, they will be hosting an epic beach bash to ring in 2018. A $10 cover fee will give you access to the energetic live band Chameleon sure to get you moving, and a viewing of the fireworks set to start at midnight. While reservations aren’t needed for the bash, Sharky’s is accepting dinner reservations so you don’t leave hungry. Grab some beach fries, a drink from the tiki bar and dance the night away!

Photo provided by Sharky's On The Pier

Sharky's On The Pier is a member of Nosh, the SRQ magazine content marketing program for local restaurants.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) has developed a Master of Science in Biomedical Ethics (MSBE) distance-education program to help healthcare workers develop cultural competency in a diverse healthcare environment and demonstrate how ethics education leads to a higher level of professionalism and patient-centered care. The program is competency-based learning delivered in an interactive, online environment via EthAssist, a web-based distance education platform developed by The Institute of Consultative Bioethics (ICBioethics). The MSBE program is specifically designed to provide flexibility for working professionals and current students looking to earn their degree in 18 months or 24 months. LECOM is accepting students for online classes beginning in January of 2018. Candidates for the MSBE program include physicians, executives, administrators, researchers, mid-level practitioners, nurses, chaplains, clergy, educators, social workers, healthcare advocates and others in the health delivery industry.

Report cards are out for the nation’s hospitals, and Sarasota Memorial Hospital received the highest 5-star rating for the fourth consecutive rating period. Less than 10 percent of U.S. hospitals earned the federal government’s highest marks in 2017, according to the American Hospital Association. The updated results are slated to be posted this month on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. Since 2016, the federal agency has shared star ratings to make it easier for people to compare how well their community hospitals perform on a range of inpatient and outpatient quality indicators. Hospital Compare evaluates more than 50 quality measures and then distills them into an overall star rating, giving the most weight to factors including patient safety, patient experience, the rates of unnecessary patient readmissions and rates of unexpected patient deaths. Hospitals receive ratings of one to five stars – with five stars being the highest score. The results are slated to be posted on the Hospital Compare website this week. For more information, visit below.

Nutter Custom Construction, a Sarasota-based residential custom-building company, has been selected to build the foster homes for All Star Children’s Foundation, an organization with the goal of providing state-of-the-art treatment for childhood trauma on its Campus of Caring. Nutter Custom Construction will build six single-family homes for All Star Children’s Foundation. The residential homes will accommodate individual children and siblings and incorporate a community recreation area, playground, picnic areas, community garden and an outdoor theater theatre. The five-acre campus in Sarasota will provide a place for children, from infants to age 18, who have entered the foster care system due to abuse or neglect. The builder aims to start construction in the first quarter of 2018. The entire campus for All Star Children’s Foundation is designed as a trauma-sensitive environment, including the homes that Nutter Custom Construction will build. On-site trauma-informed therapy will focus on physical, psychological and emotional safety for children.

The Trust for Public Land and Sarasota County has announced the purchase of 2.7 miles of former railroad right of way to extend the popular Legacy Trail toward downtown Sarasota. The railroad corridor was acquired by Sarasota County from The Trust for Public Land, which had purchased the corridor last week from CSX Transportation and Seminole Gulf Railway. Extending from the Legacy Trail's current northern terminus at Culverhouse Nature Park to Ashton Road, the corridor was purchased using $7.9 million of county funds, mostly from the county's Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program. The purchase marks the completion of the first of a two-phase effort to extend the 11-mile Legacy Trail by 9 miles into downtown Sarasota. TPL is currently working with the Sarasota County Commission to consider a ballot measure for November 2018 that would ask county voters to approve funding to acquire the final 6.3 miles and its construction, which would include two overpasses and improvements to trail connections.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens lights up the holiday season with Lights In Bloom. Over one million lights will illuminate the garden and walkways will be transformed into sensory light tunnels. Visitors will have the opportunity to stroll through magical gardens filled with beautifully lit flowers, radiant rainforest butterflies, dragonflies and more. The tropical holiday paradise includes nightly visits from Santa and his elves (before Christmas Eve), children’s arts and crafts activities and games, plus live entertainment with SoulRCoaster each evening. Grilled foods will be available for purchase from the Michael’s on East grill including a cash bar. The Selby House Cafe will also be open with its full menu. In its 14th year, Lights In Bloom has become a tradition for residents and visitors to celebrate the holiday season in Sarasota

The Perlman Music Program’s (PMP) intensive 17-day Winter Residency offers unparalleled musical training for international students, ages 12 to 20+, who play the violin, viola, cello and bass. With a faculty led by Toby and Itzhak Perlman and comprising some of the most gifted musical talents of our time, the PMP Sarasota Winter Residency offers an artistic and personal experience that changes students' lives forever. The winter residency’s free public events include orchestra and chorus rehearsals, master classes, and works-in-progress student recitals. Question and answer sessions with the Perlmans, PMP students and faculty follow many of these events that take place in a heated, outdoor performance tent on the grounds of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Each year, the winter residency culminates with the Celebration Concert with Itzhak Perlman conducting the PMP String Orchestra and Patrick Romano leading the PMP Chorus at the Sarasota Opera House.

USF Sarasota-Manatee, 8350 N. Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL

[SOON]THEATER:
Home for the Holidays , December 26, 8pm

The five young comedians of local group Millenial Fresh are sure to make audiences laugh in this holiday inspired sketch comedy show. Taking place at Westcoast Black Theatre, this event will be a great way to bust your gut for the holidays.

The 7th Annual New Years Eve Fireworks Celebration at Marina Jack will be bigger and better than ever. Enjoy a variety of entertainment and menu options onshore at Marina Jack along with a sparkling midnight fireworks show. Climb aboard the Marina Jack II for a four–hour celebration dinner cruise, complete with party favors, live music and fireworks on Sarasota Bay. Either way, you are sure to have a sparkling New Year!

Marina Jack , 2 Marina Plaza
Sarasota, FL 34236

[SOON]MUSIC:
An Evening in Mayberry , January 5

The Dillards are a a musical group with a history dating back to The Andy Griffith Show over 50 years ago. Join them for an evening in Mayberry, and have the opportunity to relive musical memories and meet some of the Mayberry friendly faces. Tickets are $22 in advance and $25 at the door.

Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

[SOON]MUSIC:
Musical Landscapes , January 6, 7:30pm

See the world from your seat with an evening of musical panoramas. Whitacre's luminous reimagining of the River Cam, which flowed past his window at Cambridge University, features Sarasota Orchestra's own principal cellist Natalie Helm. Hailed for his "energy and enthusiasm," guest conductor Stefan Sanders dynamically guides guests on this matchless musical tour.

Sarasota Opera House, 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota

[SOON]GALLERY:
Cast, Cut and Cold - Glass , January 8 – March 24

Technically amazing and visually stunning examples of creations by more than two dozen masters of glass art including Peter Bremers, Vadlec Ciglar and Irene Frolic astound in this exhibition. Numerous examples, styles and methods of glass casting and etching are represented in this one-of-a-kind gallery.

Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, Shakespeare in Love will offer an entrancing theater production that follows the story of Will Shakespeare, a struggling playwright tormented by writer’s block. To his rescue comes the vivacious Viola, Will’s greatest admirer. But Viola has a secret and Will finds himself star cross’d.

Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota

[SOON]THEATER:
The Mountaintop , January 10 – February 18

This performance depicts a fictionalized portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his last night of his life. With a theatrical imagination, the play gives viewers a window into what went on in the legendary man's life, and what his hopes, vulnerabilities and fears were.

SRQ MEDIA is calling for 6th, 7th & 8th grade girls to find your inner “roar” at the 2018 SMARTgirl Mentorship Summit and Luncheon on Friday, March 16, 2018 from 10:30am-1:30pm at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota.

Explore the possibilities and celebrate every girl’s potential at SMARTgirl. Participants will engage in an innovative program designed to educate middle school girls in 6th, 7th and 8th grades on career imaginings and the tools they need to succeed through mentorship, soft skills training and hands-on workshops with some of the community’s top women leaders.

[SOON]THEATER:
Nine , January 11 – January 28, 2pm, 7:30pm or 8pm depending on day

Guido Contini is a wreck and dreading his 40th birthday, a dread that stifles the easy flow of his creative juices. He runs off to Venice in search of inspiration. In a swirl of present issues, revisiting traumatic memories and grasping at women likes straws, Contini finds himself on the verge of total annihilation.

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) was one of the greatest fashion icons and screen legends in history whose innate style and kindness captivated the world. Pamela Fiori, former editor in chief of Town & Country and Travel & Leisure magazines and six-time published author, presents a portrait of a much beloved woman, award-winnng actress, devoted mother, humanist, passionate gardener and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Join SRQ MEDIA and WIB Trailblazer Honoree Pamela Fiori for an enchanting evening of sparkling cocktails, conversation and exploration into Hepburn’s luminosity through images, film and stories.

This exhibition celebrates the ten-year anniversary of Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA), a social engaged art project founded in 2008 to investigate labor, time, and what we value. A selection from the first ten years of the project will be featured, and ILSSA co-founder Emily Larned will be in-residence in the gallery for the first two weeks of the show.

Fred Johnson is an accomplished musician who has toured with the likes Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea and Miles Davis. A jazz, world music singer, and percussionist, Fred has been collaborating with Tampa Bay musicians for a series of performances with the theme of unity. Don't miss the evening of inspirational poetry, music, and art.

Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center, 525 Kumquat Ct., Sarasota

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